Pausanias´ Description of Greece - Παυσανίου Ελλάδος περιήγησις
Recogito Annotation
Book 6 — Chapter 5
English
6.5.1 The statue on the high pedestal is the work of Lysippus, and it represents the mightiest (μέγιστος) of all men except those called heroes and any other mortal race that may have existed before the heroes. But this man, Polydamas the son of Nicias, is the mightiest of our own era.
6.5.2 Scotussa, the native city of Polydamas, has now no inhabitants, for Alexander the tyrant of Pherae seized it in time of truce. It happened that an assembly of the citizens was being held, and those who were assembled in the theater the tyrant surrounded with targeteers and archers, and shot them all down; all the other grown men he massacred, selling the women and children as slaves in order to pay his mercenaries.
6.5.3 This disaster befell Scotussa when Phrasicleides was archon [371/0 BCE] at Athens, in the hundred and second Olympiad, when Damon of Thurii was victor for the second time, and in the second year of this Olympiad. The people that escaped remained but for a while, for later they too were forced by their destitution to leave the city, when Heaven brought a second calamity in the war with Macedonia.
6.5.4 Others have won glorious victories in the pancratium, but Polydamas, besides his prizes for the pancratium [408 BCE], has to his credit the following exploits of a different kind. The mountainous part of Thrace, on this side the river Nestus, which runs through the land of Abdera, breeds among other wild beasts lions, which once attacked the army of Xerxes, and mauled the camels carrying his supplies.
6.5.5 These lions often roam right into the land around Mount Olympus, one side of which is turned towards Macedonia, and the other towards Thessaly and the river Peneius. Here on Mount Olympus Polydamas slew a lion, a huge and powerful beast, without the help of any weapon. To this exploit he was impelled by an ambition to rival the labours of Heracles, because Heracles also, legend says, overthrew the lion at Nemea.
6.5.6 In addition to this, Polydamas is remembered for another wonderful performance. He went among a herd of cattle and seized the biggest and fiercest bull by one of its hind feet, holding fast the hoof in spite of the bull's leaps and struggles, until at last it put forth all its strength and escaped, leaving the hoof in the grasp of Polydamas. It is also said of him that he stopped a charioteer who was driving his chariot onwards at a great speed. Seizing with one hand the back of the chariot he kept a tight hold on both horses and driver.
6.5.7 Dareius, the bastard son of Artaxerxes, who with the support of the Persian common people put down Sogdius, the legitimate son of Artaxerxes, and ascended the throne in his stead, learning when he was king of the exploits of Polydamas, sent messengers with the promise of gifts and persuaded him to come before his presence at Susa. There he challenged three of the Persians called Immortals to fight him — one against three — and killed them. Of his exploits enumerated, some are represented on the pedestal of the statue at Olympia, and others are set forth in the inscription.
6.5.8 But after all, the prophecy of Homer respecting those who glory in their strength was to be fulfilled also in the case of Polydamas, and he too was fated to perish through his own might. For Polydamas entered a cave with the rest of his boon companions. It was summer-time, and, as ill-luck would have it, the roof of the cave began to crack. It was obvious that it would quickly fall in, and could not hold out much longer.
6.5.9 Realizing the disaster that was coming, the others turned and ran away; but Polydamas resolved to remain, holding up his hands in the belief that he could prevent the falling in of the cave and would not be crushed by the mountain. Here Polydamas met his end.
Ancient Greek
6.5.1 ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ τῷ ὑψηλᾷ Λυσίππου μέν ἐστιν ἔργον, μέγιστος δὲ ἁπάντων ἐγένετο ἀνθρώπων πλὴν τῶν ἡρώων καλουμένων καὶ εἰ δή τι ἄλλο ἦν πρὸ τῶν ἡρώων θνητὸν γένος: ἀνθρώπων δὲ τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μέγιστος Πουλυδάμας Νικίου.
6.5.2 Σκοτοῦσσα δὲ ἡ τοῦ Πουλυδάμαντας πατρὶς οὐκ ᾠκεῖτο ἔτι ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν: Ἀλέξανδρος γὰρ τὴν πόλιν ὁ Φεραίων τυραννήσας κατέλαβεν ἐν σπονδαῖς, καὶ Σκοτουσσαίων τούς τε ἐς τὸ θέατρον συνειλεγμένους—ἔτυχε γάρ σφισι καὶ ἐκκλησία τηνικαῦτα οὖσα—τούτους τε ἅπαντας κατηκόντισε, πελτασταῖς ἐν κύκλῳ περισχὼν καὶ τοξόταις, καὶ τὸ ἄλλο ὅσον ἐν ἡλικίᾳ κατεφόνευσε, γυναῖκας δὲ ἀπέδοτο καὶ παῖδας, μισθὸν εἶναι τὰ χρήματα τοῖς ξένοις.
6.5.3 αὕτη Σκοτουσσαίοις ἡ συμφορὰ Φρασικλείδου μὲν Ἀθήνῃσιν ἐγένετο ἄρχοντος, δευτέρᾳ δὲ Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑκατόν, ἣν Δάμων Θούριος ἐνίκα τὸ δεύτερον, ταύτης ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος. καὶ ὀλίγον τε ἔμενε τὸ διαφυγὸν τῶν Σκοτουσσαίων καὶ αὖθις ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας ἐξέλιπον καὶ οὗτοι τὴν πόλιν, ὅτε καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἕλλησι προσπταῖσαι δεύτερα ἐν τῷ πρὸς Μακεδόνας πολέμῳ παρεσκεύασεν ὁ δαίμων.
6.5.4 παγκρατίου μὲν δὴ καὶ ἄλλοις ἤδη γεγόνασιν ἐπιφανεῖς νῖκαι: Πουλυδάμαντι δὲ τάδε ἀλλοῖα παρὰ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ παγκρατίῳ στεφάνους ὑπάρχοντά ἐστιν. ἡ ὀρεινὴ τῆς Θρᾴκης, ἡ ἔνδον Νέστου ποταμοῦ τοῦ ρέοντος διὰ τῆς Ἀβδηριτῶν, καὶ ἄλλα θηρία, ἐν δὲ αὐτοῖς παρέχεται καὶ λέοντας, οἳ καὶ τῷ στρατῷ ποτε ἐπιθέμενοι τῷ Ξέρξου τὰς ἀγούσας καμήλους τὰ σιτία ἐλυμήναντο.
6.5.5 οὗτοι πολλάκις οἱ λέοντες καὶ ἐς τὴν περὶ τὸν Ὄλυμπον πλανῶνται χώραν: τούτου δὲ τοῦ ὄρους ἡ μὲν ἐς Μακεδονίαν πλευρά, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ Θεσσαλοὺς καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τέτραπται τὸν Πηνειόν: ἐνταῦθα ὁ Πουλυδάμας λέοντα ἐν τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ, μέγα καὶ ἄλκιμον θηρίον, κατειργάσατο οὐδενὶ ἐσκευασμένος ὅπλῳ. προήχθη δὲ ἐς τὸ τόλμημα φιλοτιμίᾳ πρὸς τὰ Ἡρακλέους ἔργα, ὅτι καὶ Ἡρακλέα ἔχει λόγος κρατῆσαι τοῦ ἐν Νεμέᾳ λέοντος.
6.5.6 ἕτερον δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ θαῦμα ὑπελίπετο ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐς μνήμην: ἐς ἀγέλην ἐσελθὼν βοῶν τὸν μέγιστον καὶ ἀγριώτατον ταῦρον λαβὼν τοῦ ἑτέρου τῶν ὄπισθεν ποδῶν τὰς χηλὰς κατεῖχεν ἄκρας, καὶ πηδῶντα καὶ ἐπειγόμενον οὐκ ἀνίει, πρίν γε δὴ ὁ ταῦρος ὀψέ ποτε καὶ ἐς ἅπαν ἀφικόμενος βίας ἀπέφυγεν ἀφεὶς ταύτῃ τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι τὰς χηλάς. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς ἄνδρα ἡνίοχον ἐλαύνοντα σπουδῇ τὸ ἅρμα ἐπέσχε τοῦ πρόσω: λαβόμενος γὰρ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τῶν χειρῶν ὄπισθε τοῦ ἅρματος, ὁμοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἵππους πεδήσας καὶ τὸν ἡνίοχον εἶχε.
6.5.7 Δαρεῖος δὲ Ἀρταξέρξου παῖς νόθος, ὃς ὁμοῦ τῷ Περσῶν καὶ δήμῳ Σόγδιον καταπαύσας παῖδα Ἀρταξέρξου γνήσιον ἔσχεν ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνου τὴν ἀρχήν, οὗτος ὡς ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ Δαρεῖος—ἐπυνθάνετο γὰρ τοῦ Πουλυδάμαντος τὰ ἔργα—, πέμπων ἀγγέλους ὑπισχνούμενος δῶρα ἀνέπεισεν αὐτὸν ἐς Σοῦσά τε καὶ ἐς ὄψιν ἀφικέσθαι τὴν αὑτοῦ. ἔνθα δὴ κατὰ πρόκλησιν Περσῶν ἄνδρας τῶν καλουμένων ἀθανάτων ἀριθμὸν τρεῖς ἀθρόους οἱ μονομαχήσαντας ἀπέκτεινεν. ἔργων δὲ τῶν κατειλεγμένων οἱ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ τοῦ ἀνδριάντος ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ, τὰ δὲ καὶ δηλούμενά ἐστιν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπιγράμματος.
6.5.8 ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα τὸ ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου προθεσπισθὲν ἄλλους τε τῶν φρονησάντων ἐπὶ ἰσχύι καὶ Πουλυδάμαντα ἐπιλήψεσθαι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς αὑτοῦ ρώμης ἔμελλεν ἀπολεῖσθαι καὶ οὗτος. ἐς σπήλαιον γὰρ οἵ τε ἄλλοι τῶν συμποτῶν καὶ ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐσῆλθεν ὥρᾳ θέρους, καί πως οὐ κατά τινα ἀγαθὸν δαίμονα ἡ κορυφὴ τηνικαῦτα τοῦ σπηλαίου κατερρήγνυτο, καὶ δῆλα ἦν ὡς αὐτίκα ἐμπεσεῖσθαι καὶ χρόνον οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺν ἔμελλεν ἀνθέξειν:
6.5.9 γενομένης δὲ αἰσθήσεως τοῦ ἐπιόντος κακοῦ καὶ τρεπομένων ἐς φυγὴν τῶν λοιπῶν παρέστη καταμεῖναι τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι, καὶ ἀνέσχε τὰς χεῖρας ὡς ἐπιπίπτοντι ἀνθέξων τῷ σπηλαίῳ καὶ οὐ βιασθησόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄρους.